Trichaptum abietinum

An annual fungus with tiered brackets of fruiting bodies growing from summer to winter. The bracket size is ca. 2.5 cm. Its upper surface is concentrically striped, grey to brownish, with a widely spanned and white-edged attachment to the substrate. The pores on the underside of the fan-shaped cap are dense, with a meshy or labyrinthine arrangement, toothy and purple to purplish brown. The purple colour of the hymenophore and upper bracket margin is distinct especially in the period of intensive growth. The fungus is usually saprobic on stumps, dead trunks and branches. Its presence causes sapwood rot with a light  brown discolouration. A very similar species, Trichaptum biforme, grows on hardwoods.